Troublesome
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: Sirius receives a mysterious note and sets out to investigate. Ravenclaw!Sirius. one shot.


**Author's Note:** Written for...

The Mystery Competition. _Prompts:_ Ravenclaw!AU, ambiguous

I Dare You Challenge. _Prompt:_ Rita Skeeter

 **Troublesome**

 _I know what you are. Meet me in front of The First Sorting tapestry at midnight. –R._

Sirius reread the cryptic message for the umpteenth time as he slowly chewed his eggs. The note, written on a torn scrap of parchment, had been left on his pillow during the night. He'd woken with it wedged beneath his cheek, damp with drool.

He kept looking up from the parchment every minute or so to glance around the table. Ideally, whoever left the message for him would be watching him now, but no one seemed to take notice of him any more than usual.

"Another love letter?" someone asked from behind him.

Sirius reflexively hid the note from view until a tall, wiry blond boy took the seat next to him and he relaxed. Dirk was probably the only person he would trust with something this strange.

"Not this time. Or they have a very odd way of going about things." He handed the note over. Dirk's mouth tightened into a thin line, the way it did whenever he was deep in thought.

" _'_ _I know what you are_.' That's rather ambiguous, isn't it? It could have a million meanings. And who's 'R'?" he rambled, passing the note back.

"Haven't the foggiest, but they managed to sneak this onto my pillow last night. I don't suppose you saw anyone creeping about?"

"Sorry, no. Maybe you should go to Professor Flitwick about it."

Sirius rolled his eyes, stuffing the note in his pocket. "And why would I do that?"

"It sounds threatening, like this person's trying to blackmail you. Could be dangerous."

"Right, and if they're trying to blackmail me, then there's a pretty good chance that they know something I don't want everyone else knowing about," Sirius deduced easily. "Knowing myself the way I do, I'm willing to wager it's also something I don't want Flitwick knowing about."

Dirk shook his head, beginning to load his plate with French toast. "I don't understand how you can be so nonchalant about breaking the rules," he said in an exasperated whisper. "You're constantly skipping class, missing deadlines. You're planning on sneaking out tonight to meet this 'R' person. For God's sake, Sirius, if you weren't my best friend-"

"But I _am_ your best friend, and that's why you're going to put those Prefect powers to good use and ask to be assigned patrol on the fourth floor tonight. I'll feel better about walking into a trap if I've got backup, and you won't have to stay up worrying about me."

Dirk pursed his lips, but said nothing else about it.

:-:

The boys waited until eleven-thirty to head for the fourth floor. By then the Ravenclaw common room was predictably empty and their roommates asleep.

"You're going to get me in so much trouble one of these days," Dirk whispered as they crept through dark corridors toward the tapestry depicting Godric Gryffindor placing his hat on the head of a small child.

Sirius strode along casually, familiar with the thrill of being where he wasn't meant to be. He snickered at his friend, hunched over and tense, looking pale in the wand light.

"You have to loosen up, mate. It's not like they'll take away your badge for one little infraction."

Dirk blushed. "It's not the badge I'm worried about."

Sirius grimaced. He'd forgotten how worried Dirk was about being expelled. He was muggle-born, and the idea that he could be kicked out of the magical world sometimes gave him nightmares.

The arrived at the tapestry at the stroke of midnight, but there was already someone waiting for them. It was hard to see them in the dark. Dirk's wand light only shone so far, and the person's own wand was faced down to the stone floor. The hood of their cloak was pulled up.

"I didn't think you would come," said a female voice. Sirius couldn't place it, though he knew he'd heard it before. He usually remembered the voices of the women he'd dated, however briefly. That ruled out quite a few names.

"I almost didn't, but then you were so persuasive in your note, _R_."

The woman chuckled and reached her free hand up to lower her hood, revealing a head of loose golden curls and bright green eyes.

"Rita?" Dirk said, gaping at her. "I thought you were supposed to be in the library tonight."

She shrugged, leaning against the wall next to the tapestry. "Sorry, Cresswell. Something came up." Her eyes flicked to Sirius'. "I'm surprised you brought an audience. I didn't think you'd want your little secret getting out."

"To which secret are you referring, Skeeter? I have quite a few, you know."

"You're an animagus."

Sirius scowled. That had been one of his most guarded secrets, known only by Dirk, since he managed the feat in third year. "How did you figure that one out?"

"I caught you prowling the grounds last week. I like to take walks by the lake at night."

"What are you going to do?" Dirk asked. "Are you going to go to Professor Flitwick?"

"Not everyone is a teacher's pet like you, Cresswell. However I _might_ consider letting a professor or two in on Black's escapades, unless he's willing to lend me a hand."

Sirius growled. He'd never liked Rita in their six years at school, and blackmail certainly didn't improve his mood.

"What do you want?"

She stood straighter, all of a sudden, eager. "I want you to teach me to become an animagus."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I want this. Desperately."

"Why? It's going to be hard, and it took me a year so it'll probably take you … until you graduate, at least."

Rita narrowed her eyes at him. "Teach me, or I go to Dumbledore."

Sirius shared a look with Dirk before finally sighing in defeat. "Fine. But you better pray you don't turn into a cat. I don't like cats."


End file.
